The SPARCTMSystem is used to treat stress urinary incontinence in women. To determine if it may be a good choice for you, take the incontinence quiz below and share your answers with your doctor.
- Do you ever experience unplanned, sudden urine leakage either while sleeping or during the day?
- Do you experience leakage while laughing, sneezing, jumping or performing other movements that put pressure on the bladder?
- Do you have trouble holding your urine as you hurry to the bathroom?
- Do you frequently experience a sudden and immediate urge to urinate?
- Have you noticed a change in your frequency of urination?
- Do you visit the bathroom to urinate more than eight times per day?
- Do you currently wear pads or liners to protect against unplanned leaks?
- When planning a trip, outing or event, does the availability or location of restroom facilities affect your decision?
The SPARC System is not for:
- Overflow incontinence, which results from over filling of the bladder combined with structural or anatomical defects
- Women planning future pregnancies
Other considerations can be found in the Instructions for Use document [link to SPARC IFU doc] under "Warnings and Precautions."
Patient Profile
Cheryl is a 55-year-old female who is post-menopausal. Her estrogen levels are low, and she is beginning to exhibit low bone density. Cheryl is a schoolteacher and spends much of the day standing in her classes.
About 10 years ago, Cheryl began to notice that she leaked small amounts of urine when she sneezed or coughed. Cheryl's mother told her that it was very common for the older women in her family to leak urine when coughing or laughing. She now wears pads continually, but has had several "accidents" and was not able to change the pads soon enough to prevent leakage on her clothing.
Cheryl's physician prescribed an estrogen replacement drug to correct her hormone imbalance. She also started pelvic floor or Kegel exercises. After nine months with little improvement, Cheryl and her physician decided that she would be a good candidate for the SPARCTM Sling System.
This scenario is based upon a composite of typical patient and physician experiences, and is not reflective of any one individual's medical situation. Individual situations and results may vary.
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